


The Tower

by Fieryflamess



Series: Julian's Route [12]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26294824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fieryflamess/pseuds/Fieryflamess
Summary: Julian and Ryuhiko begin their journey to the Magician's Realm, but life has other plans for them first.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Series: Julian's Route [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877557
Kudos: 3





	The Tower

### Head Over Heels

As Lucio descended, the crowd was deathly silent. Nobody even dared to breathe.

"Didn't any of you hear me?" Lucio demanded. "I _said.._. your beloved Count has returned." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking around expectantly for applause.

A noble screamed and fainted, and the room erupted in chaos. Several of the guests inched toward the door or abandoned all pretense and fled. Others cheered and clapped, gathering around Lucio to welcome him back. A panicking servant ran right through Ryuhiko, and though he flinched, he didn't feel any resistance.

"Are we... are we ghosts? Did we die?" Julian asked.

Ryuhiko could see how Julian might think that, but it didn't sound quite right. "No, we're not dead. We've just been separated from our bodies."

"That, um, that sounds a lot like being dead. But I'll take your word for it. Wait. Wait, if Lucio's back, does this mean—"

A shiver of dread raised the fine hairs on the back of his neck. "How long do we have until the plague returns?"

"Well, that's, hrmmm, hard to say. Lucio himself wasn't the carrier of the plague. It was those red beetles. So long as we don't see any of those, we can still fix this. Speaking of which, uh. How _do_ we fix this?" Screaming up a storm, Malak flew into the ballroom and made a beeline right for them. "Malak—? No, no, it's okay! Don't freak out. Everything's going to be fine!"

Nothing worked. Malak circled over their heads, fussing at the top of his tiny lungs. Julian gave Ryuhiko a harried look and pulled him out of the ballroom. Finally, Malak stopped screaming. He careened around the hallway, narrowly missing the decorations. From where they were standing, Ryuhiko could still hear Lucio's strident voice.

"Asra! Asraaaa, where are you going? Don't you want to know how I came back?!" Lucio sounded whiny. Asra exited the ballroom behind the two, shutting the door behind him and waiting. "Well, fine, then! Noddy, you won't leave me like that, will you?"

Satisfied that Lucio wasn't following him, Asra looked around the empty hallway. His gaze stopped on the area around Ryuhiko's face, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wait. This feeling...? Ryuhiko?"

"Ah, perfect timing! Help us out here, won't you?" Julian spoke. But Asra remained silent, looking puzzled. Even when Julian waved a hand in front of his face, he didn't react. "He, uh. He can't hear us, can he."

Ryuhiko shook his head, feeling his heart sink. If even Asra couldn't hear them, then...? The door to the ballroom swung open again.

"Oh! Asra!" Portia seemed a little relieved. "There you are." Behind her, raised voices drifted out of the ballroom.

"What do you mean, I'm not Count anymore? Look at how much the city loves me!" Lucio whined more.

Portia nudged the door closed with her foot and rounded on Asra. She didn't even glance their way. "Milady sent me to find you. Ryuhiko and Ilya are missing!"

"They are? Then Ryu? Ilya? Are you really here?" Asra looked in their direction.

Portia looked right through the empty space where Julian and Ryuhiko were, then back at Asra. "Are you joking? It really isn't a good time! Aren't you worried too?! They're missing, that _jerk_ is back, Milady is so upset, and—and..." She was on the verge of crying.

"Ohhh, no, Pasha, please don't cry—" Julian reached out to hug her... and his arms passed through her without any resistance. With a flutter, Malak landed on Portia's shoulder and started preening her hair. "Wait! You can tell them what happened, Malak! Er, hang on. You can?"

Malak cawed raucously, and in response, a familiar snake popped out of Asra's sash.

"Faust?" Asra blinked at the snake. As Malak chattered, Faust tilted her head this way and that, listening intently. Ryuhiko knew Asra could hear Faust, and somehow, Faust could understand Malak. "...They _are_ here, and they can hear us, even though we can't see or hear them. Somehow, they've been separated from their bodies."

"They were _what?_ How?" Portia questioned.

"There's no time to explain. We have to get Ryu and Julian back as quickly as we can."

She studied his expression, then nodded. "Milady said to trust you, so... I will. How can I help?"

"I'll work on getting them back to their bodies. But one of the courtiers stole Julian's body. Malak says he knows where."

The raven took off from Portia's shoulder and flew in a circle above her head. "Oh, I get it! You'll lead me right to him, won't you? Just like last time. Alright. But first..." Portia jabbed a finger at thin air, three feet to the left of Julian's face, but at the right height. "Ilya, you'd better make it back!" A passing noble nearly dropped their drink, but she ignored them completely. "Otherwise, I... I'll find a way to get over there and kick your ass myself!"

"Oh, Pasha. I know you will." Julian smiled.

"Be careful. The courtiers aren't as harmless as they appear." Asra warned.

"Oh, I know how to deal with them, don't worry! Lead on, Malak!" Portia assured. In a flurry of feathers, Malak flew off. She followed close behind, barreling through the growing crowd of people fleeing the ballroom.

Asra looked around awkwardly and lowered his voice. "Ryu, Ilya... I need you to try and do something. Go to the realms of the Arcana. You can use the fountain as a portal. You'll find safe harbor in the Magician's realm, and I'll meet you there. Just be careful. The space between realms can be dangerous. But I-I know you'll look out for each other. Keep each other safe."

"Don't be like that, Noddy!" Lucio's voice came. "See, Vulgora's happy to see me!"

Asra winced as Lucio's strident voice cut through the chatter. "...I'd better go help Nadia then." With an effort, he composed himself and headed back into the ballroom.

"So... we have to get to the Magician's realm, eh? We're off on another adventure. Shall we, my dear?" Julian was putting on a confident air, but Ryuhiko could sense his nervousness. He felt it too.

Gossiping partygoers crammed the hallways, but the gardens outside were still peaceful. As they approached the fountain, the water rippled with a dizzying wash of color. When the water settled, it reflected a starry sky, but not the sky above them. Julian's hand found Ryuhiko's, their fingers intertwining. Together, they plunged into the water. Ryuhiko's sense of time and direction faded away. Around them, the darkness shuddered like a living thing.

"Ryuhiko?" Julian asked. "Ryuhiko, are you alright?"

Ryuhiko opened his eyes to see Julian leaning over him. The worried pinch between his brows eased when he saw that he was awake.

"Ah, you _are_ alright! Easy does it, now." He helped Ryuhiko sit up, hand steady on his back. "Where are we?"

The starry void was familiar. Ryuhiko saw it not long ago, on his way to the Hanged Man's realm. Julian saw it when he got caught between life and death, but didn't seem to remember it.

"We're in the space between realms," Ryuhiko answered. A frisson of unease went down his spine. They couldn't linger there long, but where did they go?

"Arf!" A strange, dog-headed creature stood not ten feet away from them. Where did he come from?

"What—? Or, uh, _who_ is that?" Julian asked.

Ryuhiko studied the dog curiously. He looked like he might have been one of the Major Arcana, but he didn't recognize him. The dog beckoned them to follow him, tail wagging. Was he one of the other inhabitants of that realm? A guide, maybe? Or a trap?

"No idea. Let's follow." Ryuhiko said. Although he was sure he'd never seen him before, somehow, he felt familiar. Trustworthy.

"Hmmmm, well... You have good instincts, Ryu. If you trust him, so will I." Julian helped him to his feet, and they approached the dog. With an approving nod, he started walking. Starlight gathered under his feet, forming a path. "You know, I've never seen anything like this. We shouldn't be able to walk like this." He veered to the side and leaned over the edge of the path, peering down into the void. "Whoa, Ryu, look at this!"

Ryuhiko joined him at the edge of the starlit path and leaned over to see what he had spotted. At first, he saw nothing. Not the darkness of night, or the absence of light, but nothing, actual nothingness. Within it...? Something was moving.

"You see it too, don't you? That's not my imagination?"

It was a serpentine shimmer, a just-perceptible shape winding its way through negative space. As Ryuhiko's vision adjusted, he realized that it wasn't alone. There were hundreds, no, _thousands_ of them, vast squirming shapes in the nothing. It was disgusting and mesmerizing all at once. Entranced, he leaned forward to get a better look. A small hand twisted in the back of his top. Julian yelped in surprise as they were both unceremoniously pulled back from the edge. Ryuhiko's blood ran cold. He hadn't realized how close they were to falling there.

Their rescuer looked up at them and shook his head disapprovingly. He tugged again, pointedly, before letting go of their clothes.

"I, uh. Whoops? Thank you." Julian said sheepishly.

The dog stood up, vigorously shaking himself, and continued walking. It glanced back occasionally to make sure the two were still following.

"You know... Somehow, he reminds me of Brundle."

"Who's Brundle?" Ryuhiko asked.

"Who's Brundle? My old dog at the clinic. Don't you..." He cut himself short. A flush crept up his neck.

Didn't Ryuhiko what? If Brundle was Julian's dog at his clinic, then...? Oh. Had he met Brundle when he apprenticed with Julian? Whatever memories he might have had of Julian's dog were gone.

"Sorry, Ryu."

"That's alright. Tell me about Brundle." By then, Ryuhiko knew the memories wouldn't return. But he always liked hearing Julian's stories.

Julian perked up, smiling gratefully at him. "Ah, Brundle. Where do I start? She was one of those dogs that were old even as a puppy!" He held his hands barely six inches apart. "By the time she was this big, she was wrinkly all over and staring dolefully at people who disappointed her. Like me, more often than not. Especially when I tried to get her to move around or fetch."

"What's your favorite story about her?"

"Hmm... My favorite, huh? It's hard to pick just one, but..." He considered it for a moment. "Aha! I know! How about the time she slept through the clinic being robbed?"

Ryuhiko pressed a hand to his heart in mock horror, encouraging him. Julian grinned broadly at him. _"_ She _didn't."_

"Oh, yes, she did! Picture this. I come back to the clinic, close to midnight, after a long day of house calls. I open the door and step inside. And then I realize the door was unlocked! Soon as I light a couple of candles, I can see someone has trashed the whole clinic. Someone came to rob the place, see. They took a bunch of supplies and all the loose money I had. But I couldn't think about any of that. I was worried sick about Brundle. I searched the clinic, calling her name, getting more and more worried. And where did I find her? Curled up, fast asleep, in the backroom!"

Julian laughed at the memory, looping his arm around Ryuhiko's shoulders. Ryuhiko smiled up at him.

"Oh, but here's where it gets good. See, after I made sure Brundle was okay, I had to clean up. So I got her to move, then got a good look at what she was laying on. It was a vial of my rarest, most expensive concoction! Worth a small fortune, at least! That lazy old dog, she protected the most valuable thing in that clinic without moving a muscle!" His delight was infectious; before too long, Ryuhiko was laughing. "Ah, Brundle. She was such a good dog."

Up ahead, their guide barked sharply in warning, all his fur standing on end. A crimson lightning bolt streaked through the night sky above them. It impacted behind them with a _crack_ that reverberated through Ryuhiko's whole body.

"Oh, no." Julian breathed.

Ryuhiko turned around, and an icy weight dropped into his stomach. Behind them, the glittering path was crumbling into the void below. Julian spun him back around and grabbed his hand.

"Run!"

The panic in his voice spurred Ryuhiko into action. They sprinted down the path, trying to stay ahead of it. But it was no use. Under their feet, the starlight path rolled like a wave. It buckled under them, sending them tumbling through the darkness. Fragments of stardust and nebulae fell with them, their guide howling in the distance before it all faded away. It was minutes, or maybe hours before Ryuhiko slowly realized that something was different. The sensation of falling had faded. He was lying on his back.

When he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar scene greeted him. He sat up too quickly. Vertigo left him gasping and shaky. His heartbeat calmed when he saw Julian lying next to him. The doctor was unkempt, but still in one piece.

"Julian?" Ryuhiko couldn't manage more than a shaky, breathy whisper.

Julian slowly, cautiously, cracked one eye open. "Ryuhiko!" Just like Ryuhiko had, he sat up too quickly and winced. Even so, he touched his cheek carefully. "Are... are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Nothing felt broken or even bruised. Julian, likewise, seemed unharmed. "No, I'm fine."

He leaned forward, fingers curling under Ryuhiko's jaw, and kissed him. "Good. Good, I'm glad. But, um...? Where are we?"

They were sitting on a small landing, attached to a spiral staircase. While Julian went to look out the window, Ryuhiko walked to the edge of the platform and peered over. The stairs spiraled endlessly down into the darkness. When he looked up, he saw the same above them.

"Ryuhiko! Do you hear that?"

A faint, agonized scream drifted in through the window. _"...help... me..."_

Ryuhiko joined him at the window, peering out. A thick, all-encompassing bank of fog surrounded The Tower. He couldn't see more than a foot in any direction.

 _"...it burns, please..._ " The fog muffled and diffused the voice. It was impossible to tell where it was.

"You can hear that, right?" Julian glanced at him. Ryuhiko did, but something about the voice wasn't right. He strained his ears, struggling to pinpoint the source of his unease.

_"...make it stop..."_

A sudden chill ran down his spine. He knew that voice. Julian seemed to realize it at the same time he did. All the color drained from his face. It was _Ryuhiko's_ voice.

_"...don't leave me..."_

Ryuhiko had never heard his own voice sound like that. Agonized, desperate, afraid.

"Then... wait, who is that?" Julian asked.

"I don't think there's anyone there. It's an illusion." Ryuhiko replied. As soon as he said that, his suspicions coalesced into certainty. He knew where they were. "We're in the Tower's Realm. It's trying to manipulate you."

"And it's using your voice to manipulate me with... what? My fears? My helplessness?"

Ryuhiko nodded firmly. "But it's wrong. I'm right here, and you're not helpless."

That time, when that cry sounded again, they were ready for it. Julian shuddered but didn't move. The voice faded, and though they listened for a few minutes more, they didn't hear it again.

"Then... how do we get out?" Julian leaned on the windowsill, then yelped as something gave way under his weight. "Gah!" His support gone, he slipped and fell on his backside with a soft 'oof.' A loose brick clattered down into the fog. "Well, uh. Not my most dignified moment—"

His jaw dropped as he stared behind Ryuhiko. Said man turned just in time to see the loose brick hit the landing with a thud.

"How in the world—? No. That's impossible. Isn't it? It is. But what if it's not? ...There's only one thing to do!" He bent and started pulling off one of his tall boots, hopping on his other foot to keep his balance.

Bemused, Ryuhiko could only stare. "Julian... what are you doing?"

He yanked his boot free and straightened up, victorious. "What I do best, Ryu. Science!" He strode confidently to the window and chucked his boot out and into the fog. "Now, if I'm right..." A thud sounded behind them. "Aha! I _am_ right!" His boot was lying on the landing. He scooped it up and peered over the edge of the stairs. "Now, experiment number two..."

Julian tossed his boot down the center of The Tower and craned his neck up, waiting. Abruptly, he stepped back and held out his arms to catch his falling boot.

"And that's what I call evidence!" His whole expression suffused with delight, he tugged his boot back on while he spoke. "Somehow, this tower is a contained loop. Anything that falls down it, whether it's inside or outside, winds up looping back inside. I mean, if we were in the real world, it'd be impossible. And I have no clue how it works, but— But, uh..." He looked vaguely queasy. "But that means we're stuck here forever. No, no, we can't be. There has to be a way out." He paced back and forth across the landing. "Brain, don't fail me now. I've never regretted learning science instead of magic, and I don't plan to start now."

Something about the way Julian phrased that gave Ryuhiko pause. "What do you mean, 'instead of magic'? Why not both?"

"Huh? Because, uh. Because both isn't an option, is it?"

"Well, just chuck three years of my life out the window then. And before that, I was a magician learning medicine. Nothing says a doctor can't learn magic. Have you ever tried it?"

"Nnnot... really...? Wait. Wait, you're not going to try and teach me, are you? Me, learn magic? I don't have the talent!"

"It isn't limited to certain people. Natural talent helps, but it's not required."

Julian shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable. "Do we even have time for that? Doesn't magic require years of study or something?"

"Not all of it. We could do something simple in a few minutes." Besides, they were in the realms of the Arcana. Time flowed differently there.

"Well... maybe, but..." His voice wavered uncertainly, then trailed off into silence.

"We can do this together." The Tower Arcana was a symbol of disaster and upheaval. But it could also mean change and rethinking old beliefs. The more Ryuhiko thought about it, the more sure he was that he was on the right track.

"Well, I... Heh. Who would've thought I'd be so nervous about learning something? Alright, Ryuhiko, I trust you. Let's give it a go."

Ryuhiko sunk down to the platform, sitting cross-legged and motioning for him to sit facing him. He remembered the way Asra taught him about magic. The visualization, the breathing exercises, the theory. But he didn't think anything so abstract would work for Julian. He searched his memory for a simple exercise. Something concrete that they could do together.

"Do you have something to write with?" Ryuhiko finally spoke.

"Darling, I always have writing tools. Never know when I might need to take notes." Digging through his pockets, Julian fished out a leather-wrapped writing kit with parchment and quill.

"Great. Usually, so do I, but it looks like I forgot to restock my paper." He hummed unhappily at the thought, pulling his glasses from his bag and putting them on. "Okay. We're going to draw a magic circle together and make a little flame." He traced each shape and symbol on the parchment. As he explained, Julian followed his finger with the quill. "...and this symbol is for 'action.' It's what makes the whole circle work."

"So if there's no action symbol, this is just fancy decoration?"

"Exactly." Something about that question sounded familiar like he'd said it before. "Put your hands here and here." He guided Julian's hands to the right positions, on either side of the circle.

"Like this?"

"Just like that. Now, focus on the action symbol in the center, and think about fire."

"Er, what about fire?"

"Think about the sight of it, the heat, the smell of smoke..." He could feel a tingle of magic, building in Julian's hands, but it wasn't yet strong enough. "...and think of something you want to burn." A tiny flame ignited at the center of the circle, flickering weakly in the still air.

Julian's jaw dropped in shock, and the flame fluttered briefly. "Ryuhiko! I— Am _I_ doing that?"

A fierce pride bloomed in Ryuhiko's chest. "You are! What were you thinking of?"

"I, uh. ...Count Lucio. I mean, I never really wanted him dead before. I just wanted the plague to be over. But now? He put you in danger, stole your body, made Pasha cry—" The flame burned higher and brighter with each word.

"Okay! Okay, you can take your hands away now."

As soon as Julian did as told, the flame died down. It had left a tiny scorch mark on the paper. He looked up at Ryuhiko, his gaze bright with adoration, and then cupped Ryuhiko's face in his hands and kissed him.

"Of all the things I thought I could do... I never thought I'd be capable of magic!" Julian grinned.

"You're capable of a lot, Julian. You did really well."

Flushing with pleasure, Julian beamed at him. "Say... I guess this makes me a bona fide magician, doesn't it? I bet we could get up to all sorts of mischief together. Or maybe all kinds of _fun?_ Maybe you could show me." He leaned a little closer, the curve of his mouth inviting Ryuhiko to take him up on the challenge.

"Hm... I could." Ryuhiko considered it carefully as he pressed a kiss to Julian's lips. "I'll show you later. Once we get out of here."

"Oh? Well, I'll be on my best behavior until then, Ryuhiko."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Darling, hold me any way you like." He laughed as Ryuhiko elbowed him, though he was unable to repress his own smile. Julian tucked away his writing kit, and they climbed to their feet. "But, well, I'm guessing we don't get out of here just by making a little flame. What do I do?"

Ryuhiko thought Julian still might not have been comfortable with anything too abstract. If he was honest with himself, he could only barely grasp it himself sometimes. But if he was right about The Tower, just trying magic would be enough to escape. "I'm going to guide the magic for both of us. Just follow my lead."

"Got it, Ryu. The stage is yours."

Ryuhiko took Julian's hands in his own, forming a ring with their arms. When he reached for his magic, it coursed up through his body and down into their joined hands. Julian startled, his eyes wide with surprise, wonder, and maybe even a little fear. Ryuhiko squeezed his hands reassuringly, and he relaxed. Within him, Julian's magic answered, readily and unselfishly, placing its power at Ryuhiko's command. Ryuhiko guided their combined energies into the space between them, contained by the circle of their arms.

"Am I—? Are we doing this?" Julian sounded amazed.

With Julian there, their combined power was much more intense than Ryuhiko could ever manage on his own. Around them, The Tower trembled. The whole realm seemed to be holding its breath.

"Ready when you are, Ryuhiko."

With a final effort, he let go of Julian's hands, breaking the circle. Magic lashed out at the walls, the sheer power of it nearly knocking him over. Before such an onslaught, the forces holding The Tower together shuddered briefly, then failed. Julian lunged for him, grabbing his hands tightly, as The Tower crumbled under them.

"Ryuhiko! We did it! Look, Ryuhiko, we did it!" Julian cheered.

They were falling through the starry void together. The realms of the Arcana spread out below them, glimmering like jewels in the dark. A colorful oasis sang out to Ryuhiko, radiating familiar energy. The Magician's Realm. With the last of his strength, he reached out for the Magician's Realm, and it rushed up to meet them.


End file.
